|
Galway Hurling thread - 4 Like(s)
Great win by the U20s v Kilkenny. Leinster Minor and U20 Champions. Hon Galway!
SouthGalway (National) - 20/05/2026 21:30:52
|
|
Hurling Championship 2026 - 3 Like(s)
Replying To bloodandbandage: "Although the 3 teams to qualify are already known, there will definitely be nothing 'underwhelming' about our match in PUC. A place in the Munster final is at stake, and both teams will fight tooth and nail to be in it. Should be cracker.
Expect both Galway and Offaly to get the business done, but the game of the weekend will be in Parnell Park, and I believe the Dubs will get the job done." Yeah, while there's less at stake in the final round of Munster than in other years, I still wouldn't describe it as "underwhelming".
Cork v Clare is a de facto semi-final and could be a cracker. Similarly, anything less than a win for Limerick, and they might not make the final either.
But you know what would make it really interesting??? A relegation battle.
Imagine if Tipperary were in a situation where losing to Limerick by five or more would mean they'd finish bottom and be relegated, rather than Waterford making the drop. That would bring a lot of added spice to the match in the Gaelic Grounds!
Am just stirring..... :D
Pikeman96 (National) - 21/05/2026 13:01:08
|
|
Galway Hurling thread - 2 Like(s)
Replying To katser: "It will still be Galway v Kilkenny Leinster Final.
Beat them in the Minor, U20 and Senior Leinster Finals." MHC Final Galway 3-20 Kilkenny 3-19
U20 Final Galway 2-20 Kilkenny 2-11
Two down one to go
katser (National) - 20/05/2026 21:02:09
|
|
Football Format Changes Discussion - 2 Like(s)
Replying To Tadhg2020: "No it doesnt collapse. It counts now because everyone is at full strength or close to full strength because the provincial championship is currently the second most important trophy you can win. If you break the link and the big teams are qualified anyway they is every liklihood that those teams will rest players as the league will happen after the provincial championship. Yes it will before you say it wont. There is no way teams will sit around for 6 weeks when the league is qualifying them for the championship proper. The provincials move to February and March and become a preseason/ early season competition. Media lose interest and so do fans. Then when a westmeath beat a Dublin B team in the leinster final it means much less. You know this but we are back to this strawman argument again. Its like groundhog day." I'm not breaking the link.
The big teams are qualified already in the current system.
Whammo86 (National) - 21/05/2026 17:19:53
|
|
Football Format Changes Discussion - 2 Like(s)
Even I can't compete with this :)
No more mismatches? Uefa revamps qualifying for men's major tournaments | Uefa | The Guardian https://share.google/3tSGJyCS1E2UBE8cw
omahant (National) - 21/05/2026 14:21:23
|
|
Monaghan GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To TheGreatRambo: "Nobody ridicules players around here, not should they, its saved for managers/coaches that don't suit peoples agendas." I see monaghan Facebook advertising it as a paul mcgurr cup game and not tier 3 game.
farneygael3 (National) - 21/05/2026 17:23:36
|
|
Leitrim GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To ohwow: "Didn't know Leitrim football was popular in Tusla, Oklahoma" It's Tulsa Oklahoma not Tusla!! This page is gone to the dogs lads.
Thanks for ruining the best day page on hoganstand.
I was talking to some very shrewd Leitrim men and they all agree. They believe it needs to get back to being what it was after the non-existent qualifiers.
Back to normality- good luck to Steven and the lads on Saturday. Potentially the last game of the season but I hope and expect it is not
leitrim4sam (National) - 21/05/2026 15:34:29
|
|
Football Championship 2026 - 1 Like(s)
Replying To JimB1991: "His point seems to be because Kerry don't win the All Ireland every single year its not an issue, or at least that's what I got from the waffle." You mean that being ablet to gear your training to be ready for the last weekend in May, when everyone has to be ready to go 5-6 weeks earlier, is not an advantage! Poppycock I tell you.
tirawleybaron (National) - 21/05/2026 15:12:02
|
|
Football Format Changes Discussion - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Tadhg2020: "No its not. You clearly haven't been watching the celebrations in Roscommon and Mullingar or louth last year. Nobody has ever celebrated a league win like that.
Its not that I have great regard. Those saying they dont are talking out of both sides of their mouths. I include you in that. Are you really telling everyone that if Antrim were ever to win an Ulster title that you dont want it to count for something significant like it does now. Yes they made a mistake in the new format. I dont like it anyway but not seeding the winners will be fixed if the system lasts. However you cannot tell me that winning the ulster championship in this and particularly last years format wouldnt be better that winning the diminished ulster championship that you are proposing. I dont buy that for a second.
As for the best teams playing each other in meaningful games at the right time of the year. They do in this format, they did in last years format and they always have done." Your argument collapses when you use Westmeath, Antrim etc as examples
Those counties win provincial so infrequently, they couldn't give a monkeys about what that then means for their All Ireland ambitions.
The fact that they won, they actually gained no advantage over the teams they beat.
The draw we have now allows Galway (3rd on all time list), Cork (4th on all time list), and Dublin (2nd on all time list) a leg up for doing nothing of note except lose a provincial final, where only Dublin beat a div 2 team to get there.
tirawleybaron (National) - 21/05/2026 13:15:34
|
|
Wexford Hurling Thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Doylerwex: "Let's just say they make things difficult" Bit ironic that coming from a Harriers man
btwex90 (National) - 21/05/2026 11:14:14
|
|
Football Championship 2026 - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Gaaforlife2023: "Jaysus kerry may have advantage munster but doesnt mean it is always used or good thing only when win the donegal crowd must getting to be biggest moaners about kerry and forget to mention ye had advantage itself in preparing for kerry some what anyway,
Maybe their coaching and quality players has also something to do with their success no many bitter supporters or begrudgers just say it is just because of an advantage not that i really care either way but just an observation.
If donegal don't get it done will that be the excuse again kerry this or whatever it is the travel too long.
Donegal a great gaa county with great supporters but some supporters just in my opinion have a chip on their shoulder" Your first 6 words say it all. Why should they have a seeded route to a home draw? The rest is all waffle, and more than Donegal posters pointing this out, including myself.
Expertinall (National) - 21/05/2026 11:09:53
|
|
Football Format Changes Discussion - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Tadhg2020: "No its not. You clearly haven't been watching the celebrations in Roscommon and Mullingar or louth last year. Nobody has ever celebrated a league win like that.
Its not that I have great regard. Those saying they dont are talking out of both sides of their mouths. I include you in that. Are you really telling everyone that if Antrim were ever to win an Ulster title that you dont want it to count for something significant like it does now. Yes they made a mistake in the new format. I dont like it anyway but not seeding the winners will be fixed if the system lasts. However you cannot tell me that winning the ulster championship in this and particularly last years format wouldnt be better that winning the diminished ulster championship that you are proposing. I dont buy that for a second.
As for the best teams playing each other in meaningful games at the right time of the year. They do in this format, they did in last years format and they always have done." You never address the core issue of provincial imbalance? You just accuse everyone of wanting to diminish them, and continually highlight celebrations of winning counties.
Simple question to you.... Should the reward be equal in the race for Sam, to the winners and the runners up, of all provinces?
Yes or No answer please?
Expertinall (National) - 21/05/2026 11:03:35
|
|
Championship Attendances - 1 Like(s)
Replying To DublinBrian: "Absolutely shocking Dublin turn out on Sunday for a lenister final. Westmeath out numbered them by 4 to 1 . Even the hill was 40 percent full with the Westmeath supporters taking up half of that. Embarrassing to see the Dublin support. They have really turned their back on this team." Probably just got bored of winning, now the team isn't doing as well as it was, so a lot of fans just don't really care. Doesn't help the hurling team are doing well either.
Dublin need to probably go through a bit of a baron spell to get fans back onside.
Cabbagepatch1667 (National) - 21/05/2026 10:52:51
|
|
Football Format Changes Discussion - 1 Like(s)
Replying To Whammo86: "The Provincials standing in the game is already diminished.
I want a GAA championship and overall season that makes sense and is exciting and the best teams play one another in games that matter.
For what it's worth I don't think the status quo is great for the Provincials as is.
The finals don't count towards the All Ireland.
The scheduling isn't great, you clearly really have a lot of time for the provincials. I don't think the are held in the same esteem by everyone else and going from the national league and the sort of fixtures there to the Provincials and the mismatches, I don't think it's great.
There'd be a better flow to the season starting with them and I honestly think they'd benefit from that.
They are still linked to the All Ireland.
I've nothing against them other than the fact that they are imbalanced within them and between them, so it makes it difficult from a fairness point of view to have them be the foundation of the National championship.
To have a better National championship, you have to have more time dedicated to it than is currently possible with the scheduling of the Provincials." With the current format I still think the best schedule would have the League and Provincial championships played in tandem.
With the current calendar the league stared on Jan 24th and the provincial finals were played up to May 15th - so something like this:
Jan 24/25 Preliminary Provincial round in Ulster / Leinster
Jan 31/Feb1 League round 1
Feb7/8 (OFF) Off
Feb 14/15 Provincial Quarter Finals
Feb 21/22 League round 2
Feb 28/Mar1 League round 3
Mar7/8 Off
Mar14/15 League round 4
Mar21/22 Provincial Semi Finals
Mar28/29 League round 5
April 4/5 Off
April 11/12 League round 6
April 18/19 Off
April 25/26 League round 7
May 2/3 League Finals
May 9/10 Provincial Finals
May 16/17 Provincial Finals
The top 16 placings would be known after the provincial semi finals meaning all teams would know what they were playing for in the last 3 rounds of the league.
I'd still much prefer championship based promotion & relegation with winning a province a way of being promoted as I outlined in a previous posts here.
brianb (National) - 21/05/2026 10:35:16
|
|
Provincial Final Replays - Good Idea Or Bad Idea? - 1 Like(s)
It mightn't be for everyone but result on the day. How often does the underdog win the replay? Extra time and penalties evens the match up a bit coming into the last few minutes. If Monaghan held on last Sunday for a replay Armagh would have beat them by 20 in the replay.
Saynothing (National) - 21/05/2026 10:27:19
|
|
Dublin GAA thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To tirawleybaron: "They still get 20% of the population out to a championship game - Dubs cant event get 1% to a leinster final" Ehhh...there were only 15k in attendance at the Connacht semi-final in MacHale Park. Around 6-7 k of whom were Roscommon fans. 8k as a percentage of 138 thousand is more like 5 percent. Just sayin'.
avonali (National) - 21/05/2026 07:36:11
|
|
Galway Hurling thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To galwayford: "The team that won in 2017 was physically imposing. Our team now looks smaller. Especially the full back line. The Dublin full forward rampaged through it. Hope Mr Donoghue can rectify this. Wexford are no pushovers. And Galway will have to be at their best to beat them. Regards any final, the Dubs sadly look a lot better than us." How does Donoghue 'rectify' that? Water them, I suppose? At least they only 'look smaller', so you appear to be marginally uncertain as to whether they're smaller or not. Dublin didn't look 'a lot better than us' imo. We 'won' the widecount 17-3 or so, and Daithi conceded an unforced og, and yet we were still level after 70mins, losing it in concluding injury time.
Pope_Benedict (National) - 21/05/2026 00:59:14
|
|
Galway Hurling thread - 1 Like(s)
Replying To ColmFlaherty: "To be honest their isn't any other inside forward in the panel I'd be comfortable with, maybe we have Monaghan at half forward with Rory Burke in the corner and Killeen at midfield, maybe Oisin Lohan with a start somewhere." Burke won't be back for Sunday anyway. Be a test to make the Leinster final too I'm afraid.
Triffic (National) - 20/05/2026 22:18:42
|
|
Football Championship 2026 - 1 Like(s)
Replying To legendzxix: "What's your point... Advocating standalone provincial championships means having the All Ireland have its own promotion and relegation to the Tailteann.
The national hurling league is getting on fine without any link to the All Ireland. The football league should do likewise. Have your league. Have your provincial championships. Then have the All Ireland tiered championships." My point is that you think that the Provincial Championships and the AI Series are both now stand alone competitions. But are they?
Because you have a seeded Munster Provincial Championship, Kerry and Cork have an unfair advantage in that ye are quaranteed to get to the Provincial final every year and because of that under the new rules you have a home tie in your first match in the AI Series.
Ye also have a handy run to the final so ye can rest players such as Gavin White and Paudie Clifford, to name but a few, and have them fresh for later on in the AI Series.
Scenicparish (National) - 20/05/2026 22:14:03
|
|
Non-Gaa Forum - 1 Like(s)
Wondering what makes you think such a major overall of the Public Sector will happen under a non-FF/FG government?
As someone who is currently a public servant, (and a frontline worker at that) I can state with absolute certainty that the current putative alternative to the current government will not make any meaningful changes to the way things are done.
It 100% will never happen under a FF/FG government, collectively they have lead every Government since the foundation of the State, and their grass roots is too intertwined with the Civil Service and public sector in general. Turkeys won't vote for Christmas, so the only real hope would be if a viable opposition emerge with a roadmap to tidy things up.
I've been a member of a union all my life (and as a colleague of mine once described them, they are a "necessary evil") but I will say that ONE aspect to the problem is the power of public sector unions (short-termism by the political class i.e. just doing populist stuff to help them get re-elected , and incompetent management are 2 further legs to the stool).
I disagree with Unions being a necessary evil, because their 'collective bargaining' isn't based on performance, its about maintaining inefficiencies. Ireland has some of the best workers rights in the world, no need for Unions.
You mention "inefficient management structures". Let me be blunt about this -- the unions are a major contributor to that.
I agree the Unions help maintain it, then we see the vast amounts of public money wasted every year, through incompetent project management. Like how on this earth does any idiot approve a €330k bicycle shed? That highlights the level of decision making we have managing public sector projects, someone who has never worked in the private sector, where strong justifications must be provided and progression is performance based.
I could say a lot more but I will leave it at that. You are very niave if you think the alternative to the current government will change all or any of this.
PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 2131 - 20/05/2026 11:45:43
FF/FG won't change anything, and I believe front line public sector workers are under-resourced and underpaid across the board, meanwhile we have Public sector admin staff who are in many cases overpaid and under worked. We need professionals managing large projects, people who can make things happen on time.
Commodore (National) - 20/05/2026 22:13:43
|